


Sometimes You Lose When You Win

by Rivulet027



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Drunkenness, Families of Choice, Friendship, Gen, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 16:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12346386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: Rhodes and Happy take care of a drunk Tony who's just found out Captain America is alive.





	Sometimes You Lose When You Win

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Marvel. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: For the fandomweekly challenge on DW prompt 45 Spared No Expense with the bonus prompt Jackpot.

Rhodes reassures Pepper that he’ll take care of Tony until she gets in tomorrow as Happy parks the car outside Tony’s house. He sighs as he slips his phone into his pocket and moves to help Happy get Tony out of the car.

“He hasn’t done this in a while,” he comments.

Happy agrees as they finally get Tony to stand. Tony grins at him, then announces, “I finally get to tell that asshole off!”

“Which one?” Rhodes asks conversationally.

“For stealing my dad,” Tony finishes as he leans heavily against Rhodes.

Rhodes wraps a tight arm around him and tries not to worry as they make their way to the house. Happy moved to get the door. They get Tony to the nearest couch. Happy heads to the kitchen to get water and Rhodes squats down to frown at his friend.

Tony lists sideways, rights himself, then points a finger at Rhodes as he declares. “I did this. I did what he couldn’t do. Asshole.”

“Tony look at me,” Rhodes tells him, before leaning in and cupping Tony’s face. “You stayed sober for a whole month this time.”

“I don’t care,” Tony laughs, as his hands close tightly around Rhodes shoulders.

“You’ll care tomorrow,” Rhodes points out.

“I did this,” Tony reiterates. “I put up the funding. I could’ve stopped when my dad died, but I kept looking. I got told not to. Ob…I still looked. I could’ve given up, but I spent the money. I hired the people! Then I met SHEILD and they were looking too and I gave them money and we took the places I’d looked and we took the places they looked and narrowed down our search and we fucking found him, we did. I did that. I did! And I’m gonna tell him off because he should be dead. We should have found him to bury him, but no! Life is complicated and he’s alive and I’m gonna tell him off.”

Rhodes stares at Tony blinking slowly. He glances up as Happy returns with two glasses of water and the bottle of Advil. “Is he saying what I think he’s saying?”

“Not sure I’m supposed to know,” Happy shrugs.

“Not sure either of us have clearance to know, though if they expected Tony to keep his mouth shut they really don’t know him,” Rhodes agrees as he moves to take the water from Happy.

Tony whines at the loss of contact, but smiles again when Rhodes hands him a glass of water. Rhodes takes the pills from Happy and puts them in Tony’s hand, then makes sure Tony gets them in his mouth.

“They found Captain America,” Happy informs him. “Apparently the guys still alive.”

Rhodes nods slowly, presses his lips together, then shakes his head, before he nods again and manages to say, “I can see why he’d want to get drunk.”

Happy nods as he sets the other glass of water on a coaster. “I’m going to go park the car.”

Rhodes thanks him. Happy nods. Rhodes turns his attention back to Tony. Tony eyes him wearily over the rim of the glass.

“I’m here, not going anywhere,” Rhodes reassures as Tony lowers his glass.

“I won,” Tony tells him quietly.

“The ability to tell off the guy your dad kept leaving you and your mom to search for or the chance to work with your childhood hero?” Rhodes challenges.

Tony blinks at him slowly. Rhodes sighs and sits next to him, wrapping an arm around Tony as his friend leans against him. He pushes Tony to drink more water. When Tony finishes the glass, Rhodes takes it from him. Tony runs a hand down his face and shakes his head as Rhodes pointedly holds out the second glass.

“Bathroom first,” Tony tells him as he stands and heads off.

“If you fall and hurt yourself I will laugh about it later,” Rhodes warns him. Tony waves him off. Rhodes listens for any loud noises, as he sets the empty glass on a nearby table. Tony returns shortly, dropping down onto the couch and wrapping his arms around Rhodes.

“Thanks for finding me,” Tony says, voice soft and stressed. “Thanks for not giving up.”

“I hit the jackpot,” Rhodes reassures. “I got my best friend back.”

“Almost cost you your career.” Tony mutters.

Rhodes runs a reassuring hand into Tony’s hair. “It was worth it to find you.”

Tony hums a contemplative noise.

“Maybe you win by not having to interact with Rogers?” Rhodes tries. Is the guy even still functional after having been frozen for over sixty years? How does that work?

“He probably wouldn’t like me anyway,” Tony agrees. “And I’d want to tell him off for things he had no control over.”

Rhodes sighs. Tony raises his eyebrows. Rhodes shakes his head. “You’re going to make me say more sappy…”

“No,” Tony wrinkles his nose then asks. “Stay the night?”

“No workshop,” Rhodes bargains.

“If you stay I’ll drink that water and we’ll go to sleep,” Tony agrees.

Rhodes agrees and hands Tony the water.


End file.
